Alleged rigging: LHC adjourns PTI hearing on basis of unoriginal documents

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had contended that the documents submitted were not original.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) adjourned on Monday the hearing of a petition against proceedings before an election tribunal on an appeal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan seeking recounting in constituency NA-122 in Lahore.

Speaker of the National assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had filed the petition and contended that the documents and affidavits presented by Imran in the tribunal were not original, and were photocopies.

He pleaded that the tribunal could not hold proceedings unless original documents were provided. In this regard, Justice Ijazul Ahsan had already stayed the tribunal’s proceedings.

On Monday, Imran’s counsel sought a week’s time to file a response to the petition. The judge turned down the request and directed the counsel to advance his conclusive arguments on Tuesday.

The PTI chief had lost his elected seat from NA-122 to Sadiq, and had approached the election tribunal for recounting and inspection of votes.